Politics and Web Strategy: Metrics of Success

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Politics and Web StrategyMetrics of Success

• Sponsored by
• Knight Digital Media Center
• April 24, 2008
• Karen A.B. Jagoda
• President
• E-Voter Institute

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Key Issues

• How are candidates using the web?
• What are voters expecting candidates to do with
  the Internet?
• What elements go into a successful political
  campaign and what role does the Internet play?

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Candidates Use the Internet

• Web site
• Fund raising
• Email
• Online ads
• Webcasts of events
• Blogs and podcasts
• Take polls and surveys
• Communicate with press

• Television ads on the official site
• Campaign web video on other sites
• Participate in social networking sites
• Opposition research
• Manage field operations
• Text messaging

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Voters Use the Internet

• Find out about all candidates and issues
• Contribute to candidates
• Organize for and against candidates and issues
• Tell their friends/family about political issues
• Post their own opinions in blogs
• Post video and audio related to candidates
• Rate posted videos
• Create their own sites
• Use social network sites

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What do Voters Expect?
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What Do Strategists Worry About?

• Control of the candidates message
• Rapid response challenges
• Activists for against their candidate
• Finding likely voters
• The competition
• Raising enough money to keep going

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Dimensions of the Political Campaign Environment

• One day sale and no second place
• Real World
• Dollars raised
• Attendance at rallies
• Volunteers walking the neighborhood
• Turn out at the voting booth
• Internet
• Web traffic
• Engagement
• Quantity and quality of content
• Reported by the News
• Poll numbers
• Viral video
• Blogosphere

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In Search of Voters

• Which campaign activities are most important?
• Which online tools help build momentum and have a
  multiplier effect?
• How to turn online activists into a actual
  voters?

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Metrics of Success for a Campaign

• What role does the Internet play?
• Dollars raised total and per contributor
• Move the numbers-favorability ratings and other
  polls
• Intent to vote and turn out of voters or caucus
  attendees
• Attendance at rallies
• Name recognition
• Level of passion
• Increase registration of new voters
• Effectiveness of field operations and
  mobilization of volunteers

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Online Metrics

• What helps a candidate get elected?
• Quality and quantity of voter generated
  contenthow viral
• Social media activity buzz factor
• Blog presence and tone of postings
• Web site visitors
• Online engagement
• Persuasion by online ads
• Click through rates on display ads search terms

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Community Based Metrics

• What matters most for building grassroots
  support?
• Email addresses acquired for current and future
  campaigns
• Email forwards to increase opt in list through
  recommendations
• Collection of petition signatures
• Popularity of search terms
• Rapid response
• Ability to define the opponent

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Internet Advantage

• What is the return on investment of media dollars
  spent across all media for a campaign?
• How is the Internet changing the way successful
  candidates are spending their time and money?
• Internet is leveling the playing field and
  allowing a new kind of candidate to gain
  attention, funds, and votes. Who are these new
  candidates and what makes them successful?
• The Internet is engaging voters in new ways. Is
  it most effective with Independents, cross-over
  voters, the undecided, or the loyal base?

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Change

• Why do top campaign people continue to resist
  changing their strategies to take more advantage
  of the Internet?
• When will political strategists catch up with
  changes in the media landscape?
• What other changes are ahead for the Internet and
  how will voters and candidates take advantage of
  them?

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Contact

• Karen A.B. Jagoda
• President
• E-Voter Institute
• http//e-voterinstitute.com
•  
• Digital Politics--Weekly Internet Radio Show
• http//signonradio.com/programs/digital-politics
•  
• karen_at_e-voterinstitute.com